Friday, November 30, 2007

We wish to examine the concept of Tamil Eelam within the hypothesis that it will eventually exist in Sri Lanka for the purpose of testing the hypothesis of Eelam in practical terms. Three issues that can potentially delimit this hypothesis are presented below. The proposed Tamil Ealam of the LTTE will be analysed through its existing as well as future system of governance, economy and the security dilemma. We wish to have an informed conversation regarding these ideas with all parties visiting DefenceWire.

The Tamil Eelam Government

The current system of governance in areas under LTTE is dictatorial. Dictatorial states have certain inherent problems. These include but are not limited to a lack of international acceptance, rights abuses, corruption, suppression of the public, disgruntled communities, rebellion etc. If a state of Tamil Eelam were to be established, the present Tamil leadership under Pripaharan would have to change or they would have to be removed. Exactly who in the Tamil community that can remove them from power is a concern. If they cannot be removed, a parliamentary democracy is out of the question. In the post 9/11 world, this is tantamount to state failure at the highest level and justifies intervention (i.e. Iraq, North Korea, Cuba). The Tamil Eelam administration would also have to share power with minority Muslims living in Jaffna, Mannar, Kilinochchi etc.

The other issue with Governing Tamil Eelam would be the new Tamil elites motivated by their own personal interests, rather than the interests of Tamil Eelam. These elites could be political leaders, former military leaders of LTTE, old and new economic leaders (businessmen) etc.

The Tamil Eelam Economy

The current economy of LTTE areas has two characteristics. The first characteristic is the remnants of the Sri Lankan Economy managed by the Government of Sri Lanka. This accounts for much of the economic activities in terms of import and export trade (As with the national economy regulated via Colombo and Trincomalee harbours), payments (salaries) to public sector service providers and state-appointed Administrators (i.e. GAs, AGAs to school teachers), development projects and schemes to which the state is a fiscal agent (i.e. renovation of A-9 Highway) and Subsidies (i.e. food stamps, rations etc). The state does not receive taxes from establishments in areas with an LTTE presence and therefore is giving voluntarily at this point in time.

The second characteristic is the Gift Economy where some members of Tamil Diaspora fund the LTTE. Some trickling-down of this money occurs when LTTE attempts to operate a symbolic civil administration, police unit etc. However, Diaspora funding has its limits. New generations of Tamils born and bred outside of Sri Lanka may not have an interest in sustaining the conflict.

The third aspect of the present Tamil Eelam economy is the indirect economic benefits provided through activities of Non-Governmental Organizations (i.e. UNICEF grant to rehabilitate child combatants). This economy might disappear along with international funding in the event the problem of the Tamils is solved, as proposed by the LTTE, through Tamil Eelam.

In the event Tamil Eelam is established and the Sri Lankan state withdraws, the Diaspora funded Gift Economy would have to increase its role as a military as well as a civil funding agency and replace the state economy. Establishment of Eelam would also prevent fundraising from foreign public entities based on sympathy for the Tamil cause. It would also prevent the State of Eelam from raising money through illegal means such as money-laundering, weapons, drugs and human smuggling etc due to increased scrutiny and accountability.

The Security Dilemma

As long as there is a Sri Lankan Government, a military and an economy, Eelam will not rest in peace. Any disgruntled groups living in Tamil Eelam would have to be eliminated or else risk being manipulated by the Sri Lanka government. Eelam would also have to guard itself against neighboring India for obvious reasons. Eventually, hardline leaders from the Sinhala community in the south will outbid and outflank moderates based on a campaign for war against the state of Eelam, which they will consider a threat to national security. Political leaders might even lose to charismatic military leaders seeking a military takeover of government for the purpose of destroying Eelam. This could result in war, of the likes never before seen by any Sri Lankan.

All in all, the stakes of maintaining Eelam seem higher that winning it. If the cost of achieving Eelam is higher than rejecting Eelam and settling for a lesser goal, then it is the option that one can choose. Good governance, managing a national economy and safeguarding national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of a state of Tamil eelam can be much harder than waging guerilla warfare.

27 comments:

Eelam is a totally unrealistic wet dream that many provoked Tamils in the 70's gave up in the 80's, but still being carried out by Nazi Polpot Prabakaran.

He has been too deeply sunk in this own sh*t created by him, he is finding no exit other than sinking thousands of others also with him.

The word Eelam was first used by Indian Tamils to described (Hela or Sinhala nation)..It was earlier pronounced as "Eela" and turned to Eelam. Prabakaran thinks that Eela means Tamil nation.

The Dravidians' nation is the current TamilNadu where more than 60M Tamils live. If there would be a separate country for Tamils (the Dravida's), it should be the Tamilnadu and not Sri Lanka where Dravidians are recent immigrants who lived under the patronage of the Sinhala kings as immigrants.

These Sri Lankan Dravidans can live in other countries like Canada, USA, UK, France, Germany, Norway, Italy, Switzerland etc., accepting no separate self-determination rights, but can not live in Sri Lanka.

These Eelamists as we call now, cry foul about virtually non-existing racial discrimination in Sri Lanka.

It is the Sinhalese (or any other non-Tamil) who have been discriminated in the own country, because no Sinhala (or any other non-Tamil) can not go to any LTTE controlled area, as they would be killed instantly.

Through decades of genocides and ethnic cleansing, LTTE got rid of all the Sinhalese in the parts they control. However, any Tamil can live peacefully in any other part of Sri Lanka with the Sinhalese people without any discrimination or harassment. This is the right situation of the Mono-Ethnic Eelam concept that is touted buy the mega maniac Prabhakaran.

He spread so much hatred amongst Tamils though false propaganda about Sinhalese branding them as evil. The Tamils who are exposed to daily doses of false Prabhakaran propaganda also starts thinking in the same lines.

When the British came to Sri Lanka in the early 1800, they realised that the Sinhalese have been against them. But they found the Tamils who were the visible minority was not so. British thought that "divide and conquer" is the best way to deal with Sinhalese resistance. As a result, the British started "franchising" everything from education, jobs, and land to the Tamils for their loyalty.

When Sri Lanka got indipendence from Britain, Sri Lanka declared "universal franchise" that very much hurt many of the Tamils who enjoyed so much privileges under the British Franchising Policy. This started Tamils crying foul and asking 50/50 for Tamils vs Other when the Tamils were less than 12% of the total Sri Lankan population.

In the 70's Jaffna Mannar basin was a paradise for smugglers. Both Indian and Sri Lankan Tamil smugglers were smuggling goods from India to Sri Lanka (mainly around Velvetithurai, Mannar,KKS areas), because of Sirimao Bandaranayake's policy of minimal imports/self sustainability. The Tamil youth gangs were providing protection for these gangs.

In 1977 when J.R. Jayawardene became the President of Sri Lanka, he opened the economy and the smugglers went out of business, and the Tamil youth who provided protection lost its purpose. That provided the opportunity for them to aid the TULF who was politically strong in Sri Lanka that pulled separatism and racist lines.

To add fuel to the fire, Indira Ghandhi who was furious about J.R's American/West biased policy and who was scared to see Sri Lanka becoming an economic power-shouse in the region started helping Tamil militants. The ill treatment that J.R gave towards Sirimao Bandaranayake (who was Indira's friend), also may have contributed.

In the 70's and early 80's India trained and armed thousands of Sri Lankan militants. The Indian intelligence wing RAW controlled all the destabilizing strategies of the Sri Lankan government. The former militants have described how RAW authorities instructed them to massacre Sinhalese villages to teach a lesson to J.R. This is how LTTE was born under the very patronage of India.

The same LTTE killed India's beloved Prime Minister Rajiv Ghandhi, whose mother who nurtured LTTE. Since then rest is history. The Prabhakaran mega maniacs wet dream has destroyed lives of millions of people. Whole two generations of Tamils have been ruined. Thousands of Tamil moderate intellectuals have been killed by Prabhakaran banishing them as traitor. Thousands of Sinhalese have been killed through mass massacre.

The irony is, since 70's Sri Lanka has grown up a lot. Tamils have all the equal opportunities in the country and many democratic means to resolve any grievances. But still Prabhakaran doe not want to give up his never realising wet Eelam dream. He has asked his body guards to kill him, if he ever leave Eelam concept. So, he is hanging onto his dear life through this Eelam, taking hundreds and thousands down with him.

Prabhakaran should be gotten rid of the earliest opportunity. That day will pave the way for both the Tamils and Sinhalese in Sri Lanka to live peacefully.

I am counting for that day... and the Satan is also waiting for the meeting with Praba, it up to Gota to arrange that meeting. Do it quick before many thousands die.

There is a strange twist of facts here; in most cases, the battle needs to be won in order to win the war. In Sri Lanka's case, the war has been won already, since the concept of a seperate mono-ethnic homeland has been conclusively demoslished many times over. There's only the battle to be won.

This is the reason behind the many fasceted rhetoric which is aimed at making the larger Sri Lankan voter base give into terrorist demands thru demoralization. But the facts are out there clearly; the war is over. Only the battle remains.

DEFENCEWIRE, AM LOOSING RESPECT ABT UR BLOG FAST because of these racists (CHECK THE LAST POST pls) THere are few pests here named vp (Very pathetic).. DEFENCENET is very severe abt these racial abuses and he has moderated number of comments am wondering why u keep a blind eye about these racialists who spray shit on ur hard work and credibility

Defencewire we all like your work, but opinions need to be balanced. I don't like blogs being taken over by vested extremist groups to spread a war agenda which mean thousands of poor tamils and sinhalese kids getting killed, while rich colombo and sudda b*stards make money in arms deals, corruption and underworld business. How many of you bloggers are brave enough to go and fight on the frontlines ?? Stop being keyboard warriors and be responsible, don't kill off our innocent youth to enjoy out your "war pleasures."

Mr upul, do u approve the comments made by VP saying that more innocent civilians need to be killed. Is this acceptable? Dont u see him as a keybpard worrier signing up with various names and insulting the singhaleese. DO u approve it. Am with u to end this war and this bloodshed but who started it? Just think sir... If the air force is so crazy to bomb the tamils, they must have bombed watawala hatton and wallawatta but its not the case JUST REMEMBER IN 70s all of us sighaleese tamils lived peacefully who did this change its the power greedy singhala and tamil politicains who did this and its this fat thud who started this bloddy war and its now 25 years past and what did he bring to the tamils and the country... nothing but devastation JUST think this sir... (am forgetting all the racial comments that u guys posted and calling you a sir.... ) Lets make the chat civilized

I honestly don't think user VP means what he says either. He is saying this is going to be the consequence of all this war mongering. An average Tamil or Sinhala will never dare or want to kill another human being. This is the danger of blogger bravado.

Yes Tamils have lost and Sinhalese have lost dearly as well. I ask you what Sinhalas and their leaders have achieved since independence ? The world has left this island behind, island is sinking so fast that it will join the ranks of the poorest African countries. If your are from Sri Lanka, Tamil or Sinhala, people recognize not for anything else but all the negative and cruel outcomes of the war. Most of all no one really cares, if we all clubs ourselves to death. I sincerely ask you what are you doing as an individual to stop this war.

Forget about opinions of Tamils and Sinhalas, please have a look at the opinion of an outsider:

Yes greedy politicians from all sides played a great part in our collective downfall, but greedy politicians exist in all countries. How did they do so much damage here ? The weakness lay in the people. We all let them takeover power. How many of us were brave or smart enough then to protest and prevent all the those cruel dictatorial powers ?

This is to say goodbuy to defencewire. (main page only no comments any more just to save my time)I really can't understand why DW can't delete useless comments. This is like kiri kalayata goma damma. Bye.

The terrorizing someone to solve a problem was in barbaric times.. the world has well moved beyond than living in the past.

Prabakaran is living in that past still. He does not know what a beautiful world out there.

The Provincial Councils provide the exact framework of Federalism. If anyone can not succeed in Provincial Council system, that one can not succeed in a Federal system either.

If someone believes that current Prabakaran can develop the North, it is a myth. If he has developed at least Mullative and Killinochchi during the ceasefire period with the Billions of Dollars he received , those two cities should be real paradises now. But nothing was done by LTTE, other than robbing them more for taxes. They stripped the people (mainly Tamils) live for money when they had the run during the ceasefire.

Even under the war, GOSL (the tax paying, hard working civilians of the South) is sending Tons and Tons of Food to Jaffna and uncleared areas. We pay their Telephone and Electricity Bills. All the people in uncleared areas have free Electricity thanks to the tax paying and hard-working people in the South. But they do not complain. They like the Tamil brothers and sisters of the North. But they do not like LTTE who are barbarians who lives in the ancient violent times.

About trolls and racists: whatever its faults, the SL government allows dissent and debate. Does the LTTE? If you support the LTTE, give us facts to support your arguments. Prove us wrong. If you can't or won't, that is why your cause will fail.

I think you missed something (or did I?) What about all the Tamil's living in the rest of the country? Would not the country have to undergo an "trail of tears" similar to the migration of Muslims to the newly established Pakistan.

I strongly believe that the rightful place for a mentally challenged person like you is LTTE and their fake liberation struggle. We all know that all walks of life from SL engage in good discussions in this forum, even though it gets bumpy every once in while. However, just like to my country, scum like you is pure social cancer to this forum. Please go back to LNP for good

Tamil Eelam is viable. If any of you have been in LTTE administered areas any time during the peace times you would know what I mean. It is one of the safest places in all of Sri Lanka. A person can travel alone in the middle of the night without having to fear robbers or any such ills. The only things you have to fear in those areas are indiscriminate aerial attacks by the SLAF, and claymore attacks by Sri Lanka's DPU.

Regarding Dissent, what are you guys dumb? Don't take the fact that Tamils stand united in the war against Sri Lanka to mean we nod our heads to everything. We don't! The only thing we stand united on is - the war. If a person, whether he/she is Tamil, Sinhala, Muslim, or whatever else, provides intel to the Enemy, LTTE wouldn't think twice about killing that person. However, if a person were to walk up to a senior LTTE leader and go "LTTErs are terorists, you recruit children, you are bloody murderers, blah, blah and more blah." The leader would be like "yeah, ok," and walk away. The LTTE cares more about getting things done than worrying about others' opinions. Unfortunately, it works both ways for them.

By the way, the Sinhalese or rather, the Sinhalese Politicians have been claiming to have wiping out LTTE for ages now. Instead, your politicians let a group of sarong clad men grow into an army with even an airforce now (however tiny it is).

Check this out to see everything in context:http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/5/newsid_4618000/4618661.stm